Poll: Will The Pelicans Make The Playoffs?

Several Western Conference playoff teams from last season, including the Jazz, Rockets, Spurs, and Timberwolves, rank outside the top eight in the conference in the early going this season. While all four of those teams would be disappointed to miss the postseason, you could make a case that a lottery finish wouldn’t be quite as devastating for any of those clubs as it would be for the Pelicans, who also find themselves on the outside looking in for now.

The 12-13 Pelicans currently place 11th in the West, with a tough road ahead. In order to crack the top eight, they’ll need to surpass overachieving clubs ahead of them – like the Mavericks and Kings – while holding off would-be contenders behind them, such as the Jazz and Rockets. And they’ll have to do with the uncertainty surrounding Anthony Davis‘ future hanging over the season.

While Davis can’t become a free agent until at least 2020, this is a crucial season for the Pelicans. Next summer, they’ll be able to offer Davis a designated veteran extension, paying him the “super-max.” If he turns down that offer, the Pelicans will likely have to start thinking seriously about whether to trade their star big man.

That sort of thinking is premature for now. As Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reports, sources say that Davis is happy in New Orleans and wants to win there. However, Kyler also cautions that Davis won’t be satisfied with simply finishing in eighth place in the West and failing to make a deep playoff run — he’s counting on the team to do all it can to improve the roster and to give him reason to believe he can eventually win a title with the Pelicans.

In other words, there’s plenty of pressure on the Pelicans to add reinforcements to this year’s roster and/or to position themselves to make a major splash in the offseason. And missing out on the playoffs this season would be a huge red flag for the organization.

With all that in mind, we want to know what you think about the Pelicans’ outlook this season. Is this a playoff team? Will they need to make a trade or two to nab a top-eight spot? And how will this year’s outcome impact Davis’ long-term future?

Vote below in our poll, then head to the comment section to weigh in on the Pelicans!

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